Section II: Andragogy
Malcolm Knowles describes four assumptions of andragogy
Discuss those four assumptions and the implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of learning activities with adults.
1st assumption- As a person matures, his or her self-concept moves from that of a dependent personality toward one of a self-directing human being
There is often a greater need amongst adults to see the relevance of what is learned in the classroom to their 'real life,' and they are also, based upon the confidence given to them by being independent in their jobs and family life, less likely to accept and obey what an instructor says unquestioningly. Teachers must give reasons for why what is learned is important to the student, and give students more freedom and autonomy in assignment design. According to the principles of the educator John Dewey, learning is not merely preparation for life -- learning is life (Connor 2004). Synthesis is a critical aspect of all adult education. Students should be given evaluation assignments that allow them to put what they learn into practice, and the implementation of the curriculum should be founded upon a 'back and forth' dialogue between teachers and learners.
2nd assumption -- An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning.
Rather than fight against the natural inclination of the adult to use his or her experience to inform the theoretical knowledge of the classroom, a teacher should embrace it. "Experience is the adult learner's living textbook" (Connor 2004). Adult learners should not be discouraged from talking about how their life experiences are reflected in what is discussed in class, and can be given the option for assessment techniques that make use of real-life resources. A nutrition class could call upon learners to assess and compare the nutritional ratios of different family member's diets and...
Adult Learning: Andragogy Adult learning as a concept was first introduced in Europe in the 50s (QOTFC, 2007). But it was in the 70s when American practitioner and theorist of adult education Malcolm Knowles formulated the theory and model he called andragogy. He defined andragogy as "the art and science of helping adults learn (Zmeryov, 1998 & Fidishun, 2000 as qtd in QOTFC)." It consists of assumptions on how adults
Androgogy & Self-Directed Learning Historically, the term andragogy was a long-time reaching the common vernacular. The term was a wildcard, meaning different things to different individuals and groups according to whim, nacent theory, or flowery rhetoric. When the term did crop up, it was associated with attributes that were sometimes difficult to pin down, but hinted at constructs such as self-reflection and life experiences (Reischmann, 2007). Always, as the term was
growing recognition of the changing educational needs of college students, particularly those attending community colleges. In response to this awareness, reform efforts have been implemented in order to meet the needs of students. As reform efforts have been considered, increasing attention has been directed toward assessing the influence of learning styles on academic performance. The term 'learning styles' has been used to refer to the ways in which individuals
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Abdelsayed, L. M., Bustrum, J. M., Tisdale, T. C., Reimer, K. S., & Camp, C. A. (2013). The impact of personality on God image, religious coping, and religious motivation among Coptic Orthodox priests. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 16(2), 155-172. doi:10.1080/13674676.2011.652604 The authors of this article show how intrinsic motivation is linked to personality characteristics among priests in the Coptic Orthodox tradition. Using a sample of 75 Orthodox priests, all of
Education -- Self-Directed Learning Issue Section I-Self-Directed Learning: (1) What is the connection between self-directed learning in what and how we learn? According to Knowles, self-directed learners typically learn more broadly (i.e. they learn more things); they learn more effectively; they bring a higher level of motivation to learn; and they tend to retain and apply what they learn more than do people who learn through more formal or traditional means. In the
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